The Cartographers’ Guild is a forum created by and for map makers and aficionados, a place where every aspect of cartography can be admired, examined, learned, and discussed. Our membership consists of professional designers and artists, hobbyists, and amateurs—all are welcome to join and participate in the quest for cartographic skill and knowledge.

Although we specialize in maps of fictional realms, as commonly used in both novels and games (both tabletop and role-playing), many Guild members are also proficient in historical and contemporary maps. Likewise, we specialize in computer-assisted cartography (such as with GIMP, Adobe apps, Campaign Cartographer, Dundjinni, etc.), although many members here also have interest in maps drafted by hand.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ. You will have to register before you can post or view full size images in the forums.

July 2012 challenge entry: The Isle of Aedenis

so here's the clouds ill be using for my entry, though i might end up cutting/pasting the resultant land-masses to better fit-in with my vision. I'm gonna be boring with this challenge and place this map in my conworld of Elyden. hopefully i'll manage to create something in time.

the clouds will be the land-mass and the sky the sea.

just wondering, can i use more than one cloud image and stitch them together into mosaic? since i might be moving one of the cloud chunks around ill have ome empty space ill need to fill in

I also like the overall look of this, but the eye is tricked into thinking the green is above the parchment by the coastline shading. More of a blue-green to indicate it is water might help. If you are planning on adding landmarks, mountains, forests & rivers, that should help also.

If the green is the land - fine, otherwise it looks to me like a bar of corroded copper lying on top of a piece of parchment, which - come to think of it - strikes me as a good idea for a map

Originally Posted by Bogie

I also like the overall look of this, but the eye is tricked into thinking the green is above the parchment by the coastline shading. More of a blue-green to indicate it is water might help. If you are planning on adding landmarks, mountains, forests & rivers, that should help also.

yeah looking at the green more i realise i need to tone it down and maybe try add some more definition to the land and tone down that stark land/sea border as it looks. wish i had more time to work on this, as it is i dont think ill manage to finish it.

this mornings' work, basically coming up with the style and border and combing through my fonts in the search of something that fits the flavour i'm going for. not as fancy as some of the other entries though i'm happy with it. it seems pretty authentic to the period so far. need to do some mountain and town/church/etc brushes and then it time to go crazy with the labelling.

i might lighten the paper texture and go back and add some primary colouring (as maps from the period tend to have)

still needs compass rose, some other detail (handwriting on the map, like someones left handwritten notes on it, some weathering) and some more details to help convey the period better (whatever those might be). quite happy with this one actually; as ive been wanting to make a map in this style for a while